Chapter 42

There, the doctor finally opened up about her mother's condition: kidney failure. She needed an urgent transplant, a procedure that required an amount of money Iris couldn't even fathom. Tears welled up in her eyes as she wondered how she could ever gather such a sum.

Skylar stood by her side, just as Iris and her mother had stood by her during her grandmother's death. "Iris, crying won't solve anything," Skylar said, trying to be the voice of reason.

"But I don't know what else to do," Iris sobbed. "I have no one aside from Mom. I don't want anything to happen to her."

"Hush now, Iris. Nothing will happen to her," Skylar assured, though she herself was not entirely convinced. "We need to stay strong."

"We can't be sure about that. I can't even afford the drugs she will need," Iris said, the tears intensifying. “What am I supposed to do?”

“Really?” Iris asked, still in tears, but now with a glimmer of hope.

“Yes, I’ll talk to my boss and get back to you,” Skylar promised.“I would appr